Door operating mechanism



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 m K Y MC R E 0 0 1V0 me M m O G 0 Y B R. D. CONKLIN Filed NOV. 15 1932 DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM March 6, 1934.

March 6, 1934. R. D. CONKLIN DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 15, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR I Rgcoe DignK/m ATTORNEYS.

March 1934. R. D. CONKLIN DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM FilGd NOV. 15, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 l l l I l l I l l |l||I| I I. II

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. INVENTOR I RaacoeQC'ank/m Patented Mar. 6, 1934 PATENT OFFICE 1,949, 45 noon OPERATING MECHANISM Roscoe D. Conklin, Rahway, N. J., assignor to National Pneumatic Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of West Virginia Application November 15, 1932, Serial No. 642,734

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in door operating mechanism and power operating devices therefor.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide in the connecting means between the door operating engine and the door a reversing mechanism which controls the engine so that should the door in closing strike an obstruction the en gine will reverse its direction of movement to return the door to open position.

A further object of the invention is'to provide with such a combination a valve operated mechanism connected to the usual door handle so that when the handle is turned to open the door the 5 valve will be operated to energize the engine.

These and many other objects, as will appear from the following disclosure, are secured by means of this invention.

This invention resides substantially in the combination, construction, arrangement, and relative location of parts, which will be clear from the following detailed description of the invention.

Referring to the drawings- Figure 1 is an elevational view of the mechanism of this invention showing a portion of the door and its frame;

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the mechanism taken on a plane below the engine;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4. is a top plan view of the engine and the mechanism for connecting it to the door; and

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of Fig. 4.

The structure of this invention, although not limited thereto, is particularly applicable for use in connection with swinging doors. The complete combination involves a motive device for swinging the door open and closed under power actuation by the motive device. Included in the connections between the engine and the door is a lost motion device which operates when the door strikes an obstruction to cause a reversal of the movement of the door by operating the engine 45 control valve to reverse its movement.

Referring to the drawings, the door frame is indicated diagrammatically at 1, in which is mounted the door 2 on hinges, one of which is indicated in Fig. 2, so that the door is permitted swinging movement on its hinge supports. Secured to the door near the top is a bracket 3 on which is pivotally mounted at one end a track 4 which is provided with a sliding support by means of a bracket 5 secured to the door. The track 4 is provided with an extension 6 through which a bolt 7 passes. This bolt is pivotally mounted on the door at 8 in a plate 9 which is secured to the door. It will be seen that the track 4 is permitted limited pivotal movement towards the door when any force is applied thereto which overcomes the 00 resistance of a spring 10 surrounding the bolt 7.

Secured to the free end of the track near the rear corner on the underside thereof is a pin 11 which is engaged by an arm 12 secured to a pivot pin 13 which is rotatably mounted in a U5 bracket 14 secured to the door. The lower end of pivot pin 13 has secured thereto a short arm 15 which in turn is pivotally connected by means of the pivot pin 16 to a rod 17, the other end of which is pivotally connected by a pin 18 to a bell crank lever 19. The bell crank lever 19 is in turnpivotally mounted on a pin 20 secured to a plate 21 attached to the door near the edge which is secured to the frame by hinges. The arm 22 of the bell crank lever is bifurcated and nests with a vertically slidable rod 23 which is guided in its vertical movement in ears forming part of the plate 21. Rod 23 is threaded over a portion thereof and has mounted thereon a pair of nuts 24 which may be locked together in adjusted position so that they engage the undersurface of the arm 22 when the parts are in the normal position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

The lower end of rod 23 is connected by a cord or chain 25 with a bar 28 secured to for rotation with the knob or handle 29 usually found on a door. The cord or chain 25 is guided around a pulley 26 and is connected by means of the cords or chains 27 to the ends of the bar 28. The cord or chain 25 preferably passes into the interior of the door and the guide pulley 26 is preferably mounted within the door, although these elements can obviously be mounted on the outside of the door and connected to the knob or handle in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. 1.

Mounted on the frame of the door and over it is a differential fluid pressure engine comprising the smaller cylinder 32 and the larger cylinder 33. Within the cylinders 32 and 33 are small and large pistons, respectively (not shown). The smaller cylinder is open to the atmosphere at the left hand end, as shown in Fig. 1. The projecting piston rod 34 of the engine is pivotally attached to one end of a longitudinally adjustable link 35, the other end of which is pivotally connected to a short lever arm 36. This lever arm 36 is secured to a short shaft 3'7 which is journaled in bearing brackets 38 and 41 secured to plate 31. The shaft 37 projects below the bearno ing bracket 38 and has secured to the projecting end the door operating lever 39 which is provided at its outer depending end with a rotatable roller 40 of a suitable diameter to fit within the track 4. The shaft 37 is provided with a central passage 42' therethrough through which the cord or chain 30 secured to the upper end of rod 23 passes (Fig. l) The upper end of the cord or chain 30 is secured to the free end of a bell crank lever 42, which is pivotally mounted on the standard 43. The arm 44 of the bell crank lever is pivotally connected at 45 to a rod 46. Secured to or adjacent the right hand end of the engine is a valve casing 4'7 having an extending arm 48 on which is pivotally mounted at 50 a bell crank lever having the arms 49 and 51. The rod 46 passes through an aperture in the arm 51 and is engaged by two hemispherical members 53 and 54. The member 53 is held on the rod by means of a collar 52 secured to the rod. A similar collar 56 is secured to the rod and between which, and the member 54, lies a coiled spring 55. This provides a resilient con- 7 nection between the rod 46 and the bell crank lever.

Casing 4'7 is provided with two transverse walls 57 and 58 having openings therethrough on which seat the valves 59 and 60 which are mounted on a rod and connected to the plunger 61 projecting above the valve casing and lying adjacent the arm 49. A spring 90 normally holds the plunger 61 in projected position with valve 59 seated and valve 60 unseated. A pipe 62 is connected to the valve casing below the wall 58, which pipe permanently connects to a source of constant fluid pressure. Pipe 62, in turn, is connected by pipe 63 to the cylinders at a point between the pistons so that the pressure of the source is always present within the cylinders between the pistons. The space between the transverse walls 57 and 58 of the valve is permanently connected to the right hand end of the larger cylinder through the passage 64. The space in the valve casing above wall 5'7 is always open to the atmosphere through port 65.

The lower end of lever 44 is provided with a suitably shaped latch end 66, which cooperates with a projection 68 on the lever 67 pivotally mounted at one end on the standard 69. A spring '70 normally urges the lever 67 upwardly in a clockwise direction. Secured to the upper end of the shaft 37, so as to rotate with it, is a cup-shaped member '71 having one-half of its periphery cut away, as indicated at '72. The free end of lever 6'7 normally engages the cupshaped member '71 at its cut away portion when the door is closed and at that time the latch projection 66 is in the position shown.

In the operation of this apparatus, when the handle or knob is rotated, rod 23 is pulled downwardly carrying with it the cord or chain 30 and causing the latch end 66 of the bell crank lever connected to the chain to rotate in a counterclockwise direction. At the same time rod 46 moves to the right causing lever 49 to move downwardly carrying plunger 61 with it. This causes valve 59 to unseat and valve 60 to seat, cutting off the supply of fluid pressure from the source through pipe 62 to the larger cylinder and opening that cylinder to exhaust. Fluid under pressure being constantly present in the cylinders between the pistons, the pistons will move to the right under the excess force produced by the larger piston, over that exerted on the smaller piston. It will be remembered that the left hand end of cylinder 32 is open to the atmosphere. As the piston assembly moves to the right (Fig. 4) lever 39 will rotate in a clockwise direction and through its connection with the door, swinging the door with it to open position. As the door operating lever 39 rotates shaft 3'7 will, of course, rotate with it and carry the cup '71 with it. When lever 44 is moved to the right by the downward movement of cord or chain 30 lever 67 will yield downwardly against the spring '70 so that the latch end 66 may move to the right of the projection 68. Lever 67 will then snap back to hold the arm 44 and rod 46 in operated position, and, as a result, the valve will be held in operated position.

It will be remembered that in this position the right hand end of the larger cylinder is exhausting to the atmosphere and the pistons of the engine moving to the right. Just as the door fully opens the lower edge of the cup 71 will ride up on lever 67 moving it downwardly and freeing the latch end 66. Spring 90 in the valve will then force the plunger 61 upwardly seating valve 59 and unseating valve 60. The

will move to normal position and carry with it rod 23. The seating of valve 59 and the unseating of valve 60 will cut the right hand end of cylinder 33 off from the atmosphere and again connect it to the fluid pressure source. The pressure on both sides of the larger piston will then be balanced and the pressure on the smaller piston will cause the piston assemblies to move to the left, moving the door to closed position.

If, while closing, the door should strike an obstruction it exerts a reactive force on the door greater than the strength of spring 10, the spring will be compressed, and the movable track 4 will swing about its pivot point in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. 2). The movement of the track in this manner will, through the agency of lug 11 and bell crank lever 1215, pull rod 1'7 to the right (Fig. 3). This will cause bell crank lever 2219 to move in a counter-clockwise direction and force rod 23 downwardly carrying with it cord or chain 30.

This sequence of operations will again operate the valve to open the right hand end of cylinder 33 to the atmosphere so that the engine will reverse its operation and move the door to open position. The door will then again begin to close as soon as the cup-shaped member '71 has moved the lever 6'7 downwardly to free the latch end 66.

From the above description it will be apparent that this invention resides in certain principles of construction and operation which may be embodied by those skilled in the art in other forms of apparatus without departure from the scope of this invention. I do not desire, therefore, to be strictly limited to the disclosure, as given for purposes of illustration, but rather to the scope of the appended claims.

What I seek to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus as described comprising a movable door, an air engine for opening and closing the door, means for connecting the engine Raw ment of the engine in opening the door for releasing the locking means when the door is fully opened.

2. An apparatus as described comprising a movable door, an air engine for operating the door and connected thereto, a valve for controlling the engine, means mounted on the door for operating the valve, means for locking the valve in operated position, means operated by the engine for releasing the locking means when the door is fully opened, and additional means for operating the valve if the door in closing should strike an obstruction to effect opening movement of the engine.

3. In an apparatus as described the combination comprising a movable door, an air engine for operating the door, means for connecting the engine to the door to effect operation thereof, said means being relatively movable with respect to the door, a valve for controlling the engine, means for operating the valve, locking means for holding the valve in operated position, means operated by the engine for releasing the locking means when the door is fully opened, and means operated by the connecting means for operating the valve if the door in closing should strike an obstruction to effect opening movement of the engine.

ROSCOE D. CONKLIN. 

